Three Keys to Meeting and Webinar Success

Effective meetings and webinars start with proper preparation and readiness. That includes the content as well as your tools.

Here are three ways to boost your effectiveness:

1) Make screen sharing easy
If you plan on sharing your screen, a presentation or document, make sure you are using our latest screen sharing plug-ins!  Learn more and ensure you have installed our latest plug-ins for Windows and Mac.

2) Go mobile
Empower your attendees to participate in meetings and webinars via their mobile devices and tablets. Need to hop into a meeting real quick on the go?  Check out ouriPad and Android Tablet Apps to attend the meeting FAST!

3) Check your system
Critical for presenters: ensure your system, network and internet is capable of running a successful meeting or webinar. Take the system test now!

Spring Cleaning for Your Small Business

Many small businesses face transitions and sometimes it is hard to embody change. But with everything in life, change happens constantly, and when we embrace it we end up realizing that it is likely for the better. Employees come and go and often times, people we come to trust and rely on, move on, whether it be for a new career, a higher paying job or a new city. Perhaps you lose that long term client you have relied on as a major source of income, or you end a partnership that hasn’t been as fulfilling as you would have liked it to be.  As business owners we often feel alone, like we are the only ones who really care about that idea we had way back, when it was just a twinkle in your eye. Let’s face it; it can get lonely at the top of the ladder!

So, what do we do when we are staring right in the face of transformation? Panic can easily set in and as a result we can quickly lose our way and even our business! Sometimes a good spring-cleaning to get rid of the old and make space for the new is just what a company needs.

Here are some great business spring-cleaning tips to help you transform in a positive way!

1. Evaluate your retention rate: If you are in the business of ongoing clients and you are noticing that your retention rate has dropped, it may be time to seriously pay attention to customer service. A good way to understand why your clients are leaving is to have them fill out a client satisfaction survey. Maybe it is time to evaluate what type of clients you really want. Losing clients is not a great feeling, but perhaps the transformation means that it is making way for the ideal client to enter. Decide exactly what type of clients you are looking for and then focus on targeting your sales and marketing to them.  Once you get them in the door be extra nurturing to ensure they feel valued.
2. Efficiency is Key! Sometimes we hold on to employees because let’s face it, letting someone go is not fun. But losing money on lack of efficiency can ultimately make or break your business success. Start evaluating everyone’s value in the company and how efficiently they work. Are they utilizing their time to the fullest? Or are they spending their hours lounging on Facebook? Be firm with your expectations, everybody is replaceable and there is a big pool out there of talented people who are eager to work!
3. A new look goes a long way: Not only do we have to evaluate our external environment but when we want to create positive change we also have to look at ourselves as well. When was the last time you did a visual makeover? Is your site remnant of the period when the dot-com was all a hype? Don’t be afraid to invest in a new image, re-launching to your audience shows that you are strong, current, and here to stay! Plus, it will at least get people talking and going to your new and improved website. Which means bringing back awareness and possibly new clients. ☺
4. Get back to basics: Remember what it was that you loved to do and the reason you started this company and get back to that passion. As time goes by we often find ourselves moving farther away from our trade and more into a management roll. Rarely do people start a business with the dream of becoming a “manager” normally it is because they have a talent or skill that they can share with the world and make a living off of. So start reliving those days and take back that momentum and motivation. This will also help you with the staffing transition that we mentioned above, if you are short on staff, now is the perfect time to get your elbows dirty and retrain yourself!
5. Run lean and mean: It’s time to clean up everything that you don’t need in your business that is access overhead. Scaling things back is key to increasing profit margins. Go through your company with a fine tooth-comb, you will be surprised at how all the little expenses add up! Once you eliminate the unnecessary clutter you can find room to free up some money and build back equity.

Spring is the perfect time to get excited and start rebuilding and restructuring. If you are in a transition period, then this is the perfect time to evaluate where you have come and what new opportunities, policies and services you can implement to improve your overall infrastructure. Every opportunity for change is an opportunity for growth!

Beautiful things bud in springtime 

The above article is a guest post by Sari Gabbay, founder, president and visionary at U2R1, a branding, design and marketing agency. To submit your own blog post or article for consideration, learn more here.

AnyMeeting Selected by OCTANe to Present at VC in the OC 2013

Small Business Web Conferencing Provider to Give Investor Presentation to More Than 700 Attendees

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA–May 21, 2013 – AnyMeeting, a leading provider of web conferencing and webinar software for small business, announced today that it has been selected to present at the annual VC in the OC Signature event hosted on May 22nd.

OCTANe, the Orange County venture development organization dedicated to connecting people and ideas with capital and resources to fuel technology industry growth has chosen AnyMeeting to present at this week’s VC in the OC conference. The event is the largest venture capital, high growth, and innovation conference in Southern California, connecting more than 700 attendees with a select number of investment opportunities.

VC in the OC, according to OCTANe, is the premier event to see the best venture-backed companies in Orange County. AnyMeeting, selected from a strong pool of startups that are raising or will raise capital, has grown to more than 350,000 users since its launch in 2009. AnyMeeting Founder and CEO, Costin Tuculescu, who was recently profiled for OC Metro’s Annual 40 Under 40 Orange County innovator’s list will present to the more than 700 registered conference attendees.

“AnyMeeting is honored and privileged to be a part of this exciting event,” Tuculescu said. “As we’ve scaled our company over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the tremendous impact that attracting the right investors can have on a business. VC in the OC is an amazing opportunity to expand on our current relationships and build new ones with some of the country’s top investors,” Tuculescu added.

The Event will take place on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 from 7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. PDT at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, 17900 Jamboree Road, Irvine, Calif. 92614.

About OCTANe
OCTANe connects people and ideas with capital and resources to fuel technology growth in Orange County. Its members represent Orange County technology executive leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, academicians, and strategic advisors, all working together to fuel innovation in the OC. The organization has helped more than 800 companies via the LaunchPad™ SBDC accelerator. LaunchPad™ companies have received more than $340 million in investment and equity exits. OCTANe annually welcomes more than 7,000 people to its programs and events. More than 2,000 business leaders throughout the Orange County region are OCTANe members. For more information, visit http://www.octaneoc.org.

About AnyMeeting
Based in Orange County, California, AnyMeeting pioneered the small business web conferencing market in 2009 with a completely free, full-featured and easy-to-use web conferencing service tailored for small business. Since then, it has grown to more than 350,000 small business users of both its free ad-supported service and low-cost ad-free options. Designed specifically for small business, AnyMeeting offers a complete web conferencing and webinar service built on the company’s proven Software as a Service platform. Meeting hosts are able to invite up to 200 attendees per meeting with no time limits, and enjoy a full range of features including integrated video conferencing, screen sharing, presentation sharing, recording and social media integration. AnyMeeting is the best choice for small businesses, independent professionals and just about anyone who can benefit from online meetings. Current investors include Tech Coast Angels, Pasadena Angels, Maverick Angels, Sand Hill Angels and Keiretsu Forum. For more information, please visit http://www.AnyMeeting.com.